D-backs sign outfielder Cody Ross to three-year deal

Heading into the off-season, General Manager Kevin Towers made it abundantly clear that the Arizona Diamondbacks had plenty of depth in their outfield.

The D-backs general manager wasted little time shipping out some of that depth, when he
sent Chris Young to the Oakland Athletics in a trade that eventually netted the team shortstop Cliff Pennington (Oakland) and reliever Heath Bell (Miami Marlins).

While Justin Upton was once again thrown around in trade rumors for the third straight Winter Meetings, Towers elected to hold on to his 25-year-old right fielder and instead traded pitching prospect Trevor Bauer to the Cleveland Indians in a three-way deal earlier this month, that sent shortstop Didi Gregorius, reliever Tony Sipp and first baseman Lars Anderson to Arizona.

With Adam Eaton waiting in the wings to take over the centerfield job on a full-time basis, Upton in right field and a platoon in left featuring power-hitter Jason Kubel (30 home runs and 90 RBI in 2012) and former Gold Glove-winner Gerardo Parra, it seemed Arizona was set heading into 2013.

ESPN baseball analyst Jim Bowden was the first to
report that the deal was worth $26 million over three years with a club option for a fourth year that also includes a $1 million team buyout clause.

Ross, who was a member of the 2010 World Series champion San Francisco Giants, played for the Boston Red Sox in 2012. While Boston had only 69 wins on the season, Ross proved to one of the team’s few bright spots, hitting 22 home runs and driving in 81 runs.

The Diamondbacks would be the seventh team Ross has played for since 2003. He was a fourth-round selection by the Detroit Tigers back in 1999.

ESPN Stats and Info
noted that Ross’ contract is the largest free agent contract given out by Arizona since 2004 and the fifth-largest in team history.

With Ross now in the fold, the question has to be asked: Is Towers done making moves in the outfield?